Delhi election: Cong may field senior leaders who contested 2019 LS polls

Some senior Congress leaders who unsuccessfully contested the last year's Lok Sabha elections may find their names in the party's list of candidates for the Delhi assembly polls.

Delhi Congress chief Subhash Chopra said the party will field its "best" candidates in the elections for the 70 Assembly seats in Delhi scheduled for February 8.

In a meeting with senior leaders of Delhi unit, Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Monday suggested that those active in electoral politics should contest the Assembly polls.

The meeting was attended by many senior leaders including former Delhi Congress presidents Ajay Maken, JP Agarwal and Arvinder Lovely, and working president Rajesh Lilothia, all four of whom were fielded by the party in the Lok Sabha polls.

Agarwal said that he will follow instructions of the party chief.

"There is no reason why we should not do what Congress chief desires us to do," he said.

Agarwal was a runner-up in the Lok Sabha election from Chandni Chowk. He was also a former MLA from the Chandni Chowk Assembly segment.

Lilothia, too, expressed his willingness to contest the Assembly election as per directions of Gandhi.

During the meeting with the Congress chief, he had offered himself to be fielded against Delhi Chief Minister and AAP convener Kejriwal in New Delhi seat.

Congress sources said that Lovely too was inclined to contest the polls as demanded by the party high command.

Lovely was not available for his comments. He was defeated from East Delhi Lok Sabha seat by BJP's Gautam Gambhir.

Maken is also expected to follow suit although he had some "reservations" on fighting the Assembly polls. He was a runner up in New Delhi parliamentary seat in elections last year.

The central election committee of Congress is likely to meet on Thursday to discuss the names of party candidates for the Assembly elections.

The ruling AAP on Tuesday declared all its 70 candidates.

The BJP is also expected to announce its candidates for the polls in next few days.

Image Credits: PTI